Ban on children and young people under 18 acting as interpreters
Official title (in Danish): Lov om ændring af en række love på børne- og undervisningsområdet, socialområdet, det familieretlige område, skatteområdet, beskæftigelsesområdet, udlændinge- og integrationsområdet og ældreområdet (Forbud mod anvendelse af personer under 18 år som tolke m.v.)
In short
Reading time: 1 min- What changes:
- People under the age of 18 may not be used as interpreters in spoken communication with public authorities.
- The ban is written into many acts, including in the areas of schools, social affairs, family, tax, employment, immigration and elderly care.
- There is an exception when the conversation concerns a non-problematic matter.
- In several areas of family law, children may also interpret if it is necessary in an acute case.
- Who: The ban applies to spoken communication with public authorities and with private parties that carry out tasks for the public sector. This includes, among others, schools, municipalities, the tax authorities, the employment authorities and Udbetaling Danmark. In several areas of family law, children may also interpret if it is necessary in an acute case.
- When: The Act entered into force on 1 July 2025.
Written by AI from verbatim quotes from the source and checked by code and AI. Dates, tables and the fact box are calculated by fixed rules. Unofficial translation. Always read the original.
Sources and original
Read the official text (in Danish) →
The case at the Danish Parliament (ft.dk)
Source: Retsinformation.dk
Translated from Danish · The Danish version and the original source apply.
Summary by the Danish Parliament (in Danish)
Lovforslaget har til formål at forbyde brugen af personer under 18 år som tolke i møder med offentlige myndigheder. Forbuddet skal sikre, at børn og unge ikke sættes i svære tolkesituationer for deres forældre eller familiemedlemmer. Lovforslaget udmønter en aftale indgået af den daværende regering (Socialdemokratiet) og Venstre, Socialistisk Folkeparti, Det Konservative Folkeparti, Danmarksdemokraterne, Dansk Folkeparti, Nye Borgerlige, Liberal Alliance og Alternativet. Loven foreslås at træde i kraft den 1. juli 2025.
Source: Folketinget (ft.dk). Reproduced unchanged.
Timeline
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- Introduced · 27 February 2025Status in the Danish Parliament: Fremsat
- Passed · 6 May 2025Status in the Danish Parliament: 3.beh./Vedtaget
- Stadfæstet · 14 May 2025Status in the Danish Parliament: Stadfæstet
- In force · 1 July 2025Status in the Danish Parliament: Stadfæstet